Punchestown 2006

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Brassil Relying On Nickname For First Punchestown Festival Success
21/04/06

Grand National-winning trainer Martin Brassil is seeking his first win at the Punchestown Festival in the Grade Two 55,000 euros Ellier Developments Novice Chase on Tuesday, April 25, with Nickname, one of the leading lights of the Irish novice chase division.

Brassil, whose County Kildare yard is only a 15-minute drive from Punchestown, the home of Irish National Hunt racing, believes that Nickname will be tough to beat if he gets his favoured soft surface.

He reported this morning: "Nickname is very well and we're looking forward to running him. He'd have to be the horse that everyone figures they have to beat. If he reproduces either of his last two runs it would take a smart novice to beat him.

Nickname was last seen at Navan on March 25, where he split Watson Lake and Hi Cloy in the Grade Three Um Uaimh Chase over two and a half miles. The latter franked the form with victory in the Grade One John Smith's Melling Chase at Aintree earlier this month.

Brassil commented: "I was happy with his last run - people don't realise he's a novice. He was second to Watson Lake that day and had Hi Cloy in third. Before that he was second to Sir Oj at Naas over two miles.

"Watson Lake is rated 150, while Hi Cloy is rated 158 and went on to win at Aintree. I know the ground wouldn't have suited Hi Cloy at Navan that day, but at the same time he's a class horse.

"The two miles, five furlongs shouldn't be a problem, but we'd like to see a drop of rain as it's on the yielding side of soft and it would have to be at least yielding for him to run. We've had a few dry days but there's rain coming tomorrow night. It depends how much comes after that but it wouldn't take much to keep the ground right.

"It would be great to win at Punchestown. It's a big thing for anyone - it's our Cheltenham."

The Grade Two Ellier Developments Novice Steeplechase (3.15pm) has attracted a high-class 21-strong entry that also includes the Willie Mullins trio of Missed That, Our Ben and Davenport Democrat, while Michael Hourigan has engaged the highly-regarded Church Island, Arteea and Kerryhead Windfarm.

The Punchestown Festival carries record prize money of 2.289 million euros and runs from Tuesday, April 25 to Friday, April 28.